How do I stop thinking about panic attacks?

Hey there,

First of all welldone on getting out and being able to finish shopping during your panic attack. You should definitely be proud as attacks can be

debilitating, so being able to finish what you were doing is a big achievement.

In terms of worrying/thinking, have you tried any CBT/ACT? There's a technique called a diffusion which could really help. It works by getting you to acknowledge/notice the thought and training your brain to distance yourself from it. This in time can help you to challenge it in a calm and rational way if action is needed (present/real time issue) and learn to let it go if its not.

The way my therapist explained it to me when you get a worrying thought, when you notice it, say 'I am noticing that i am having the thought that...' or acknowledging it with 'Thank you brain for giving me the thought that...' She also got me to do this whilst picturing it being said in a funny voice like tweetie pie or if you prefer to speak it, sing it out to the theme of happy birthday.

After enough practice, the aim is that you will be able to notice when you get unhelpful thoughts and then detach the emotional feelings it triggers, leaving you free to act as needed. It's hard but when you are able to do it, it can be very useful.

Hope that makes sense. Best wishes.

Hi!!

Welcome to the forum. I am so sorry you are experiencing panic attacks they are so awful! I actually saw my therapist about panic attacks and I can offer you some advice! She said that they problem with anxiety in general is that even when we are not anxious we are constantly worried about when the next attack will be. So the solution is to reduce the number of panic attacks you get, because then you will start thinking about it less and less!

So how do we do this? The first option is through medication. The medication helps you not feel anxious in situations that would normally make you anxious. Also it reduces the physical symptoms you feel from anxiety (heart palpitations, chest pain, dizziness etc) Eventually it will reduce your panic attacks so much that you will stop thinking about it. Of course not everyone wants to go on medication so what else can you do?

The key to reducing panic attacks is through CBT or cognitive behavioral therapy. It's a fancy way of saying you need to change the way your mind thinks. This can be done on your own- in fact you did a form of it when you finished your shopping. The key is to not give in to the panic attack- as hard as that may sound. You have to recognize that you are getting a panic attack, not try to avoid it (like running away, going home etc) while you are working through it you need to tell yourself that it is just a panic attack and it will pass (they always pass), and that no one has ever died from a panic attack so you are not in any real danger. The more you do this- the more your mind learns to not be afraid in situations that do not warrant fear. It takes time, but it works. This is also called exposure therapy. The idea is the more you expose yourself to your fear, the more your body can learn to deal with it.

I hope this helps!

-Brianna